Fitness Basics: Running for Your Life

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Experts offer advice to get you started.

You don't have to be an athlete -- or even aspire to be one -- to start
running.

Just look at Jim Scott. In January 2003, a month after he turned 60, Scott
began running. That November, he finished the New York City Marathon (it took
him six hours).

Scott, a radio-talk show host in Cincinnati, Ohio, didn't do much in the way
of exercise before then. He played golf as often as he could but never found
the time for regular workouts.

"When I turned 60, I thought it was a good time to reassess things,"
says Scott. "I started thinking, 'These 36-inch (waist) pants I've worn all
my life are getting a bit tighter.'"

Scott decided he wanted to get in better shape, feel comfortable in his
pants again, and improve his golf game. Oh, and there was one more impetus to
try running: "I'm married to a marathon runner," he says.

Scott himself never intended to run a marathon. He simply wanted to go on
Sunday morning runs with his wife, Donna Hartman, and keep up, he says. But
sometimes running can surprise you.

Maybe you just want to run around your neighborhood, or explore a new one.
Maybe you want to challenge your body in a different way, to tone up, or lose
weight. Whatever your goals, says Scott's coach, Julie Isphording, running is
an excellent exercise for a beginner to try.

"It's cheap, easy, and the perfect thing to do with a friend," says
Isphording, a former marathoner and host of two health and fitness radio shows
in Cincinnati.

"You can go for a run in the morning and finish at your driveway with
your hands in the air and you've had success before 7 a.m.," she says.
"This is a gift from you to you."

Getting in Gear

Before you take your first step, get yourself a good pair of running
shoes.

"It's the most important investment you'll make," says Isphording.
She suggests going to a store specializing in running gear, where the staff
tends to be knowledgeable about the products, and trying on as many pairs as
necessary to find the right ones for you. A good fit is essential; blisters and
shin splints are not going to inspire you to run.